The Minnesota Wild hit a new low on Tuesday when they suffered a 7-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was their 12th loss in 14 contests and sixth defeat in a row.

After the game, the Wild held a players-only meeting and while the particulars weren’t revealed, it wouldn’t be hard to guess the tone of that discussion.

“The only way is to do a lot of things better,” Wild captain Mikko Koivu said, per the Star Tribune. “It’s not one thing or two things. It’s a lot of things that have to change. The way we play, the way we do things on a daily basis. It’s everything. Every single detail. Everything. It has to be better. With this effort and the kind of game we’ve been playing lately, it’s embarrassing and every single guy should feel that.”

If you’re getting a sense of deja vu, it’s because Wild coach Mike Yeo also said “everything” was wrong with Minnesota on Saturday. Given that his team has since been outscored 11-3, it seems his words didn’t light a spark under them. Instead, the Wild have done little to prove him wrong.

Zach Parise alluded to as much when he pointed out that they’ve been asking how they should get out of this slump for about three weeks now.

“We’re not getting out of it,” Parise said. “We’re so easy to play against. We lose battles, we don’t bump off draws, the details of our game are terrible. We don’t even make it hard on the other team. They tic-tac-toe right around us. Can’t happen.”

On top of all of that, the Wild might have to go on without defenseman Ryan Suter as he has a hearing regarding his high hit on Steve Downie last night.

The Wild are eight points out of a playoff spot as they prepare for Thursday’s game against Buffalo.

“I reached for the puck and kind of poked it and then… I hope he’s alright obviously,” said Suter post-game. “That’s not the type of player I am. It was kind of a flukey thing. He kind of just brushed my arm, my elbow as he went by. I poked for it (the puck) and then I went to get my stick. I just hope he’s alright. That’s not the type of player I am. I personally never want to see anyone get hurt.

“I’m skating backwards. It was unintentional.”

Suter said he had a word with Penguins captain Sidney Crosby at the end of the second period.

“I just told him ‘Sid you know what kind of guy I am’ and he said ‘yeah’. So I just asked him to say sorry and hopefully he’s alright,” said Suter.

Suter was not penalized on the play. He has not received supplemental discipline previously.

Tonight on NBCSN, it’s the Pittsburgh Penguins hosting the Minnesota Wild at 7 p.m. ET. Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:

TOP STORYLINES

• Matchup between one team in need of a win (MIN) and another team looking to keep pace in their conference (PIT) and potentially overtake their division leader (NYI).

• MIN fading: Since Dec. 16, MIN has lost 11 of its last 13 (2-7-4) and is 0-4-1 in its last 5.

• During this 13-game stretch, MIN has lost all 4 games that have reached OT (and lost them all in OT).

• MIN: Outscored by 2.80 goals/game in last 5 games – tied (with BUF) for worst margin in the NHL among any team’s last 5 games. (Elias)

• The Wild’s rough patch can be attributed to the quality of opponents they have faced including league-leading NSH and CHI (twice) – a team only 2 points back of the Preds – in their last 3 games.

• The road ahead looks a bit less formidable with upcoming matchups against BUF, AZ & CBJ before the All-Star break.

• This is the worst 13-game stretch (8 points) for MIN since: Dec. 6-Jan. 2 last season (8 points: 4-9-0)

• MIN last lost 11 of 13 games: Dec. 20-Jan. 19, 2012 (2-9-2)

• This is the worst 5-game stretch (1 point) for MIN since: Dec. 19-Dec. 31 last season (0-6-0)

• Mike Yeo, rumored to be on the coaching hot seat, received this vote of confidence from MIN GM Chuck Fletcher on Thursday, “Not even factored into the equation – he‟s our coach. We do not have a coaching issue.”

• Yeo served as an Assistant Coach for the Penguins (2005-10) after being an assistant on their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from 2000-05.

• The funeral for J.P. Parise, former NHLer and father of MIN F Zach Parise, who died of lung cancer last Wednesday at the age of 73, will be Friday – an off day for the Wild – in Edina, MN.

• Zach missed 2 games last week to be with his family and returned to play in the Wild‟s last two games.

• PIT slumping: 3 wins in last 9 games (3-4-2) after 22-6-4 start – this is their worst stretch all season.

• With a loss, PIT will have lost 7 of 10 games for the first time since Feb. 20-Mar. 12, 2011 (3-3-4).

• PIT lost 2 straight at home (first time this season) after starting season 15-5-1 at CONSOL.

• MIN lost 3 straight on the road – tonight is 2nd of 3-gm road trip & stretch of 7 road games in next 9 games.

• Before the first head-to-head meeting this season (4-1 PIT win at MIN on Nov. 4):

• MIN was 7-3-0 (14 points)…since they are 11-15-5 (27 points)

• PIT was 7-2-1 (15 points)…since they are 18-8-5 (41 points)

WILD TEAM/PLAYER NOTES

• Zach Parise is t-2nd on the team in goals (14 – with Nino Niederreiter; 1 behind Jason Zucker) and 2nd in points (30). Parise is the only player on the Wild with double figures in goals and assists (16).

• Ryan Suter leads the league in time on ice/game (29:35) after leading the league in this category the past two seasons…Suter is the lone representative from MIN to be selected to this season’s All-Star Game.

• Suter: 4th on team in points (22).

• Suter: 2nd on team in assists (21 – t-10th among d-men).

• Suter has gone without a point in his last 9 games and scored his only goal in MIN‟s season opener against COL on Oct. 9.

• Nino Niederreiter is tied for 2nd on the team in goals (14) but has gone the last 12 games without one.

• Niederreiter this season – first 29 games: 14G-3A, last 12 games: 0G-3A

• Niklas Backstrom is expected to make his 4th straight start in net: 0-4-2, 3.71 GAA, .878 SV% in last 7 games (5 starts).